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A man was killed this afternoon in what police suspect was a drug-related robbery at a house in
South Linden.

The victim was identified by Columbus police tonight as Stephen Wallington, 41, who lived
at 1305 E. 23rd Ave. where the shooting occurred.

Sgt. Christ Holzhauser of the Columbus police homicide squad said someone, possibly the victim,
called 911 at 2:45 p.m. The caller was difficult to understand but told the dispatcher that someone
at 1305 E. 23rd Ave. was dying, Holzhauser said.

Officers found the victim dead inside the house, which is just west of Cleveland Avenue. The
victim had been shot repeatedly, Holzhauser said.

Holzhauser said detectives had not found any witnesses to the homicide. He did not elaborate on
what led police to believe the killing was drug-related.

Court records show Wallington was convicted of drug trafficking in 1991 and sentenced to a year
in prison. He was convicted of drug trafficking again in 1993 and sentenced to five to 15 years in
prison, records show. He was released from prison in 1998.